Here is a brief synopsis of an article written about Raymond Loewy, the father of industrial design, on his philosophy about what it takes to sell something new: He believed that consumers are torn between two opposing forces: neophilia, a curiosity about new things; and neophobia, a fear of anything too new.

On a recent business trip to London, I surprised the conference organizers by turning down the opportunity to stay at the posh hotel hosting the conference in favor of a rather modest Airbnb flat. The hotel was clearly much more luxurious. The flat would require me to take the tube or an Uber to the event. Who in their right mind would make such a choice?

It was reported yesterday that Westfield Corporation, which operates 32 large U.S. malls is looking to startups to spur innovation. They are concerned with the perception that online retailers are capturing the eyes (and pocketbooks) of consumers, thereby eroding their market dominance and ultimately profits.

According to a recent WSJ article, Twitter has 313 million monthly active users, but its “total addressable audience” is 800 million (and possible much larger if you include who see tweets outside Twitter’s website or apps, or even every news source that simply cites and/or quotes a tweet.)

The concept of a 'newsletter' pops into the minds of company owners when they have no idea what to do to boost their marketing. They just know they need to do something.Should they entertain speaking engagements, seminars, networking events, newsletters, other?

Dollar Shave Club introduced a subscription model for selling razors using slapstick humor on YouTube. Now, Dollar Shave Club is being bought by Unilever PLC for $1 billion cash. Among the lessons learned and traditional industry norms broken are:

here’s a cultural problem among companies, especially consulting companies: most of us label ourselves based on our practice area. As an example, in the legal profession: "I’m an estate planning attorney. I’m a M&A lawyer."

Startup founders often feel pressure to chase rapid growth at any cost. So it is notable that one new program urges them to think small.In an era of startup accelerators, the Good Work Institute, a free business-education program for entrepreneurs with modest-sized firms, might best be called a decelerator.

Mark Walker had two goals for his startup this year: Get its new line of clothing into as many guys' homes as possible and get them to pay full price. He would have to get creative.Walker, after all, is the CEO of JackThreads, a men's clothing site that has mainly been known for its discounted prices since it started in 2008.

You’re awesome. You do all the right things for your clients. You give them the best service.So why are your client relationships so damn ... difficult? Why aren’t your clients listening to you? Why is it always an uphill battle?

The greatness of the Rolling Stones—that stunning library of guitar licks and lyrics, the decades of tabloid feuds and imbroglios, the packed stadiums—obscures a more interesting fact: For the past 50-plus years, this band, formed in a London pub in 1962, has been among the most dynamic, profitable and durable corporations in the world.

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